Chapter 15 The Murderer, the Lynx, Goes Astray...
Before dawn, the cat-eared boy ran swiftly through the deserted streets.
The human form can unleash its full power, making it a million times stronger than the silver-gray cat.
But Mainkuhn really didn't like it.
*
"My lord, the guards are very strict, I really had no choice but to find a medium-sized horse today, which has already been delivered to your bedroom... Hehe, hehe..."
Bang!!
I want more!
The nobleman raised his hand sharply:
"Young! Beautiful! Unique! You have to give me one of these three!"
"Your Excellency!"
The golden cup didn't seem to have smashed on the ground, but rather it seemed to have hit him on the head. The servant was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud.
"I really have no choice! The Supreme Judge is extremely strict about this!"
The Supreme Judge? Navisette! It's Navisette again!
"So what if some little beast killed his master a few years ago? It's just an ordinary case. There have been many more noteworthy cases in the past four hundred years. Why is he making such a fuss about it?"
The nobleman was both angry and fearful: "The Supreme Judge is a cold and ruthless law enforcement machine who doesn't understand the charm and pleasure of horse training. It's no wonder there's a shortage."
The servant quickly put on a smiling face.
"Your Excellency is so understanding, and I am truly..."
"I remember your illegitimate child is seven years old, isn't he?"
yeah?
What does this mean?
The smile froze slightly on the servant's face.
"Yes, yes, he's a naughty and mischievous child. He's not obedient at all and doesn't listen to commands. Haha, I've spoiled him."
"Being more lively is good, better than being lifeless."
The count made a pointed compliment.
"The club is really short-staffed. I'll take him to help out. You don't mind, do you?"
"...He would certainly be willing to help the adults, but—he's still too young and can't write or do math—"
"Hahaha! Good that you have no objections." Once the word "willing" was uttered, the count stopped listening.
He patted the servant's shoulder happily and condescended to joke:
"You don't have that much wealth, so why do you need so many sons?"
*
"......"
Mainkuhn pulled the cat ears back from the wall; he had heard everything.
The address the old butler gave was correct.
This is the residence of the guild hall owner.
The metal safe was also torn to shreds by claws, and various human artifacts and numerous photos of victims were piled up.
The boy picked them up with a serious face, sniffed them carefully one by one, and examined them closely, recognizing two or three familiar family members among them.
......
Thank goodness I don't have an older brother!
Maine collapsed to the ground.
That's great—my brother didn't experience what White went through; he wasn't at the club!
......
Where could he be?
What if it's an even worse place?!
No, stop thinking about it!
My brother will be alright!
...
Do children of monsters also pray to human gods?
They were simply at their wits' end.
The tufts of hair on his ear tips trembled like the flapping wings of a bird. Mainkuen slowly knelt on the ground, curling up into a ball.
O free god Barbatos, please have mercy on him.
"I am willing to be your devout believer. Please keep the misfortune that binds him away, and bless him with strong limbs and speed surpassing that of a young stag..."
O Morax, god of wealth, please have favor upon him.
"I am willing to be your devout believer. Please keep those who seek ill-gotten gains away from you, and bless them to remain forever pure, their minds and bodies not exploited by human desires..."
wisdom...
He prayed to all the gods, but not to justice.
Mainkuhn had no idea what justice was; he only knew that justice often accompanied the death of innocent people.
"Please stay away from him!"
The half-demon cried and begged:
"Let him live a peaceful life!"
My brother, he is so kind and so gentle, he can't even break a coconut!
I'm such an idiot, I didn't see through my adoptive parents' disguise at all! Brother, brother! Where are you now? You must be very sad and have suffered a lot! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I was so stupid, brother!
"Waaaaah—"
The count entered the bedroom and saw the boy curled up in a small ball, kneeling on the floor, trembling and sobbing.
"My dear, little one, why are you so sad?"
The nobleman was in a good mood and was willing to be more patient in enjoying the rest of the experience.
"Is this your first time? Don't be afraid, it's not a bad thing."
He casually turned Maine's shoulder to peek at his face.
"How old are you? Fourteen? Fifteen... Oh my God!"
Its eerie appearance caught the eye of evil people.
The midday sun melted the silk threads into gold, and those golden vertical pupils clearly belonged to wild beasts, sharp enough to prick the hand!
But at this moment, the boy's eyes were filled with tears, and his weakness softened all his unpleasant wildness—he became as cute as a deer with sawed antlers!
Yellow sand weaves a golden wedding gown, molten fire embroiders lotus flowers on brocade, and lightning strikes down, turning into a shower of cherry blossoms.
"So beautiful! So incredibly beautiful!"
And those slightly drooping, downy ears, those sharp, peculiar teeth, the electric shock marks on his neck are quite striking, oh my god, he even has a tail! He even has a short tail!
Young! Beautiful! Unique! She has all three.
"That damned beast, how dare he say you're a medium-grade horse!"
The count's heart pounded. He scrutinized Maine's face, even putting his fingers into the boy's mouth to feel his distinctive teeth and thin tongue.
"Superior! Oh no, top-class!! Heavens, I can't even bear to send you to the guild hall! Goodness, that servant dared to wrap you in such cheap, tattered clothes, I'm going to break his legs!"
"......"
The foreign object in his mouth jolted the silver-haired boy from his immense grief, and his tear-stained vertical pupils slowly turned toward the human face.
"Little beauty, what's your name? Shall we go to bed and chat..." The nobleman forced a friendly smile and gently coaxed him.
A strong smell of greed.
Let Maine's demonic blood boil.
"Click".
In return, the half-demon gently closed its two rows of sharp teeth.
...Click.
"Aaaaaaaahh ...
"Pooh."
The severed finger, spurting blood, was spat out of the boy's mouth.
"...You! How dare you!?"
Greed is being curbed, while fear is boiling.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh! How dare you! How dare you!"
"......"
The monster's child stared blankly, opening its mouthful of sharp teeth and sticking out its cat-like tongue covered in barbs, licking the air.
"......"
Excessive negative emotions.
The evil deeds to be committed.
The two preconditions for Mayne's demonic power to go out of control have been met.
*
"Ugh—you bastard! How dare you hurt me!"
"I'm going to torture you to death—ooh!"
Those lackeys shouldn't have been driven away, they were despicable!
"Give me your finger now, you little bastard!"
"......"
The only response from the half-demon was his blank, bewildered face and his unusually widened pupils:
The Orphanage Foundation's trophy, made of pure gold and inlaid with diamonds, was extremely heavy; the Earl had to call two servants to carry it into his bedroom.
The thin boy in front of him simply picked it up from the mahogany display case with a single finger.
"W-What are you going to do?! Aaaaaah—"
And threw it at the count.
Maine had no recollection of what happened after that.
The abundant malice came from the hatred of countless wronged souls, from the count's despair, and from the terror of the woman under the bed.
They howled, pleading for the arms to pull harder, for the trophies to crash down, turning three dimensions into two, and solidity into flatness.
......
One instance of demonic power spiraling out of control.
"You...you killed him and then you tried to silence me?"
The woman—a true 'medium-sized horse'—sobbed, too afraid to crawl out from under the bed, letting blood soak her body through the blankets.
"You killed my enemy, so it's fine if I die by your hand, but... but—"
"Could you please tell my mom that Isha is dead, so she can stop looking for me? Waaaaaah—"
When Mainkun regained consciousness, this was the plea he heard.
*
"......"
Mainkun had sensed someone under the bed before sneaking into the room.
The sounds of human teeth chattering and bodies trembling were too loud to escape the half-demon's ears.
"......."
Mainkuen nervously walked around the bed, pretending to know nothing as he searched for clues.
They have absolutely no intention of making contact with humans!
If this woman remained silent, Mainkun would also leave as if he knew nothing—how harmonious!
Unfortunately, not everyone has the mental fortitude to live in a fireplace-themed home.
"Waaaaah! Can't you just give me a quick death? Just use a knife, don't bother hitting me, waaaaah—"
Maine's cat ears were throbbing from the crying.
"Mom! Mom! I don't want to turn into a pie!"
Are you scared to that extent?!
Mainkuen's face stiffened, and he frantically dropped the bloodstained trophy.
Yes, it's my fault! How can I comfort you?
"...But I don't want to talk to anyone!"
"Waaaaah, I'd rather end it all! Please don't..."
Mainkuhn heard the sound of ropes being hung around people's necks.
"......!"
No! A person!
I want to kill you!
Mainkuen abruptly knelt amidst the blood and broken bones, frantically reaching his cold hands under the bed to rest on the woman's trembling body.
[Stop right now!]
"Ah! Mom!" came a terrified scream.
Don't be afraid!
The human trembled violently, then gradually hesitated.
Because I'm more afraid than you are.
"That's so strange."
A sob, tinged with barely concealed surprise, rose from under the bed:
"You're the one who killed me, so why are you shaking more than I am?"
"......"
Under the dark, cramped bed, the woman hesitantly touched the boy's hand, repeatedly examining the bloodstains on it.
Sharp fingernails, fresh bloodstains, undried evidence of a crime.
Such a horrifying atrocity, committed by such a pair of trembling hands?
"This is so strange, so strange."
"Are you not afraid of evil people, nor of the powerful and wealthy, but afraid of a weak and powerless victim like me?"
*
After carefully cleaning up all traces left by the woman, Mainkuen thought for a moment and then picked up a pen to write on the wall.
The killer was a lynx.
......
Why lynx?
The words "cat" written in blood on the wall didn't seem to fit the scene.
Mainkuhn silently thanked Mr. Miles for the inspiration he had provided.
"...You're leaving clues for the guards."
The woman stood at a distance, watching the young murderer warily.
"They can verify your identity using your handwriting."
I know.
But looking at it another way, it means they won't arrest the wrong person because of this.
Mainkuhn really couldn't understand why some humans could kill their own kind without any problem, while others had to be subjected to that... "judgment"?
How strange, it's completely different from the fireplace house.
Mainkuhn took a wide-brimmed hat, cut two holes to let out cat ears, and then pulled out a black scarf to wrap around his face, covering his mouthful of sharp teeth. He finally felt somewhat safe.
Come on, Isa, I remember your name.
He pressed his ears down, avoiding eye contact with the humans, and simply waved gently to signal them to follow.
I'll take you home.
*
"Whose child are you...? Would you like a cookie...?"
"Mommy! Mommy!"
The woman grabbed the dazed, ragged old woman and lifted her clothes to reveal a birthmark on her arm.
"It's me! It's Isa!"
"Isha... my Isha... I can't find her..."
The old man stared at his arm, which was being shoved into his hand, for a moment, his mind clouded.
"..." The pair of cloudy, yellowish eyes gradually widened, and the broken fingertips trembled as they touched the birthmark that was almost covered by the wound.
"Isa! Isa!"
Her voice was swift like a mother wolf searching for her cubs, and mournful like a bird in an empty nest; her madness, which had plagued her for many years, was cured in an instant.
"Hey! Mom!" the daughter responded, then burst into tears again at her mother's gray hair.
"You've aged so much!"
......
"Mom, Mom! The young man who brought me home was shy. He seemed a bit strange, but... he might be a good person. Please don't be afraid of him!"
"Good boy, I'm so grateful to him, why would I be afraid of him!"
With tears welling in her eyes, the mother kissed her child's forehead again and again.
"I want to hug him warmly, give him broth to drink, and give him hot bread to eat... but where is he, my child?"
He is—
Isa quickly turned around and looked into the shadows.
There was no one there.
A note from the author:
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